Amid the struggle to balance meetings, deadlines, writing projects and community events, it's easy to lose sight of why we do what we do. Jim Moroney, publisher and chief executive officer of the Dallas Morning News, a major sponsor of the 2010 NCEW convention in Dallas, offered this reminder in a letter delivered to each convention attendee:

No one reading this note ever loses sight of the liberty that the First Amendment guarantees to our profession. Even during the past decade, when almost everything about our industry pitched and rolled in turbulent ways, our constitutional protection remained steadfastly anchored. For this reason, we should always embrace this privilege and be certain we continue to deserve it.

Those colonial catalysts for our Bill of Rights properly feared the misuse of power by a strong central government. They recognized that a free press, protected from governmental restraint, was the most effective counter-balance to an elected government that would inevitably put its interests ahead of serving its citizens.

There are two principle ways that a newspaper company fulfills its First Amendment duty. One is through investigative journalism; the other is through its editorial voice. And it's the latter that is the important defining distinction between newspaper companies and other news media.

Only a newspaper company makes the investment to analyze and understand issues and then develop informed positions with the intention of guiding the community it serves to become better citizens. Only a newspaper company's editorial board studies the candidates for political office and formulates recommendations about who is best suited to serve the electorate. Only an editorial board considers the consequences of ballot issues and then supports only those it believes will add to the public good.

The constitutional privilege granted to the press is our free of charge; however, if we don't invest in the ways that actualize its purpose, its value will diminish steadily. To let this happen would be our grievous error and a tragedy for our democracy.

We left behind a difficult decade. The present one is still filled with uncertainty. Yet every media pundit wags a finger at us and declares, "Differentiate what you do and give the customer value." Frankly, I agree with them.

I content a newspaper's editorial voice is its most differentiating characteristic and on that builds value for its company by building value for the community and its citizens.

Welcome to Dallas and the Lone Star State. It is reassuring to know you and your companies continue to value what is so important about the role of newspapers' editorial boards.

Sincerely,

Jim Moroney

Publisher and chief executive officer

The Dallas Morning News, an A.H. Belo Corporation subsidiary

Meeting the needs of members will guide the priorities of NCEW in the year ahead, NCEW President Dan Radmacher told members assembled in Dallas for the annual business meeting.

While the organization will work to make the best and fullest use of technology -- the list-serv and the Web site -- to help members exchange ideas and solve problems, the organization's best resources are the connections among members, he said.

Your leadership for the coming year are, from left, Bob Davis, who under the recently approved changes to the bylaws, will add the treasurer's responsibilities to his title as secretary, Dan Radmacher, president, Froma Harrop, vice president, and Tom Waseleski, outgoing president.

Members elected to the NCEW Board of Directors John C. Bersia (below and left), a former editorial writer who now directs global initiatives at the University of Central Florida, Scott Milfred, editorial page editor of the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin, and Jonathan Gurwitz (not pictured), a columnist and editorial writer at the San Antonio Express-News and longtime chair of NCEW's International Relations committee.

The Fort Worth Mint featured prominently on the spouse tour led by J.R. Labbe, former NCEW president and editorial page editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. NCEW Treasurer Froma Harrop applies the lessons learned. (J.R. Labbe photo)

This letter was sent to Texas Gov. Rick Perry following his appearance as the keynote speaker at the Thursday luncheon of the Dallas convention.

September 23, 2010

Dear Gov. Perry:

            The National Conference of Editorial Writers was stunned and disappointed today when you spoke at our luncheon and did not take questions.

            Had it been due to a tight schedule, we would have understood. But, clearly, you  had ample time to work the room by shaking hands both before and after your talk.  You also gave an extended interview before TV cameras in the hallway, in full view of NCEW members for whom you indicated you had no more time.

            This is an affront to any notion of civil discourse, such as the kind you have called for on other occasions.

            We believe you and your staff have been disingenuous in the characterization of your schedule. If you had hoped to make a positive impression on this national press group, I must tell you that you utterly failed.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Tom Waseleski, NCEW President

Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones greeted NCEW members at a special private tour of the Cowboys' enormous new stadium outside of Dallas -- an amazing opening event. The stadium, which is tall enough to harbor the Statue of Liberty, is an unparalleled entertainment venue of sports, art, music and American cuisine. NCEW members got a behind-the-scenes tour of a kitchen that, on game days, turns out barbecue, hot dogs, tamales and chicken marsala for more than 100,000 fans. On Tuesday, the chef was preparing meals for a small group -- 800 members of the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

NCEW members tasted barbecue beef sliders, sweet tea and an all-American array of petit-four-size pastries: warm chocolate chip cookies, blueberry pie and house-made marshmallows and chocolate sitting in a tiny hummock of graham cracker crumbs.

Football, it was clear from Jones' remarks, is just one event on the enormous stage of his new stadium.

To share the event with members, we'll upload as many photos as we can to the NCEW Facebook page.

Pete Wasson, Neil Heinen and Dan Radmacher get a look from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. (Michael Landauer photo)

Tom Bier listens as Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones tells why he built the stadium. (Lois Kazakoff photo)

Kate Riley took to the football field but minutes after landing in Dallas. (Lois Kazakoff photo).

NCEW members view the stadium as the Cowboys' players do.